It's a Hard Road to Travel, It's a Hard Life To Live
by TheDarkeningSky
Summary: Summary: A collection of stories that tells of the Winchester brothers and the life they had growing up.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I'm new on here. This is my third outing on this site and I haven't really read anything but my friend recommended me here. So, here I am, with a story in the works and yeah. That's about it. And this chapter has, I guess, SPOILERS for Season One, Episode One. Anyways, I think this chapter was necessary before I could really move on with all the other chapters.**

**Summary: A collection of stories that tells of the Winchester brothers and the life they had growing up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here, the characters and show Supernatural itself does not belong to me. I would end up panicking if it did and probably screw up the whole series.**

_Chapter One_

_Lawrence, Kansas: November 2nd, 1983_

Mary Winchester was perfectly happy.

There was no way to deny it. She had her husband, John Winchester who loved her as much as she did him. She had two beautiful little boys, though Dean would protest and claim he was handsome, that she loved to the edges of the universe and back. So yes, she was happy.

A smile spread it was across her face as she pulled her eldest son tighter against her side and walked up the stairs, humming quietly to herself. As she reached the landing, her eyes automatically drifted to the open bedroom door at the far end of the hall. Changing course from Dean's bedroom, she moved towards the nursery.

"C'mon," she murmured to Dean, as she neared the room, "Let's say goodnight to your brother."

Her hand instinctively found the light switch and flicked it on as she set Dean on the ground. A larger smile crossed her lips as she watched him rush up to the crib and pull himself up.

Dean stared down at his younger brother and smiled. "Goodnight, Sam."

Quickly he leaned down and pressed his lips to Sammy's forehead, just like their mom always did. He could hear her moving up behind him and sent a smile at her. Mary pressed a hand on Dean's back and leaned over her youngest son's crib, smiling because of how perfect this all was, and how precious her sons were.

"Goodnight, love."

Her voice was a soft whisper as she brushed the soft patch of hair that Sam was starting to grow and placed a gentle kiss on her baby's forehead. Her eyes rover over Sam's small rounded face, and saw how her stared right back at her. His dark eyes seemed to search her and she couldn't help but smile again as she pushed back more of his small hairs.

"Hey, Dean."

In less than a second Dean had whirled around, and bounced off of the crib. His eyes immediately lit up as he spotted the man leaning against the bedroom door.

"Daddy!" He shouted as he lurched forward and leaped as high as he could when he reached John Winchester.

John smiled, his eyes crinkling as he lifted Dean up and pulled him in for a hug. "Hey, buddy." With a soft chuckle he pulled away slightly, holding Dean against his side still. "So," he began, gazing at his son for a moment, "What do you think? You think Sammy's ready to toss around a football?"

Dean frowned slightly, as if he were thinking about it, before shaking his head and answering adamantly, "No, Daddy."

"No," John agreed in between his laughs.

Mary leaned against the crib, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at her two men (seeing as how Dean had protested being considered a child when he had such a large responsibility of taking care of Sammy) joking with each other. With a content sigh, she sent one last glance towards her baby and moved towards the door. Her hand lifted and rested for a moment on her husband's shoulder.

"You got him?"

She could already hear the answer as she began to exit the room. Her hand squeezed John's shoulder before releasing him after a second.

"Yeah," John replied, smiling and pulling Dean tightly against him again. "I got him." He felt Dean's arm wrap around his neck and just hugged him tighter. His eyes scanned the room for a moment before finally landing on the crib that held his youngest and his eyes softened even more. "Sweet dreams, Sam."

He managed to pull his eyes away from his smallest son and turned to leave the room. His hand lifted to the switch and the room was doused in darkness.

******Supernatural!******

John jerked awake, his eyes flying open as a scream echoed in his ears.

"Mary!"

The shout tore it's way from his throat as he lurched from the chair he had fallen asleep in. His eyes were wide, his mind racing as he forced himself to run faster. There was a loud pounding as he ran up the stairs but it continued as he reached the landing and he realized, it was his heart, beating against his chest as he hurried to reach his wife's side.

The door neared him and he skidded into the room, eyes instantly searching for Mary and whatever had caused her to scream.

But there was nothing. No foe for him to face, not even his wife was present as the gurgling of his baby reached his ears. He sighed heavily, his heart pace finally beginning to slow.

"Hey Sammy," he said quietly as he moved forward and lowered the side of the crib. "You're okay."

His eyes searched every inch of his son, inspecting him for anything unusual. Then, there beside his son's head, a large red drop of some thick liquid. A frown marred his face as he reached out to touch the strange droplet. As his fingers began to lower on the stain another drop of liquid fell on his hand, followed by another. He could only stare for a moment before he raised his gaze to the only logical place the liquid was coming from. The ceiling.

"NO!" John fell, his eyes wide, pain contorting his face as he stared at the ceiling because there, pinned and bleeding was his wife. "MARY!"

He watched from the floor where he had collapsed, terrified as Mary turned her head ever so slightly, her eyes meeting his and then...

Flames leaped at him, trying to wrap around him and he could only stare as the fire billowed out from around Mary. A cry of shock escaped him as he stared up at her, and he only wanted to scream. But a sound reached him.

He could hear Sam. His baby, his Sammy.

He could hear his cries echoing around his room and he knew he had to get him out. With a great amount of effort he pulled himself to his feel, tears stinging his eyes as he turned away from the ceiling and reached for his child. Quickly, his hands were fumbling with the blankets, trying to wrap them tightly around his Sammy.

Then Sam was tight against his chest as he rushed towards the door, ducking the leaping flames that danced around the room. He turned into the hallway and nearly ran into his eldest.

"Daddy!"

The shout reached his and he kneeled hurriedly in front of his four year old son. Somehow he managed to let go of his Sammy as he pushed him into Dean's arms. It brought some calm to his mind knowing that Sammy would be safe in his brother's arms.

"Take your brother outside as fast as you can!" John ordered, "Don't look back!" Dean was frozen for a moment, his eyes wide and afraid as he watched the flames beginning to leap into the hallway. "Now Dean! GO!"

Dean watched as John immediately turned and tore back into the burning room. Next thing he knew, he was running, running as fast as his legs would take him down the stairs and out the door. His lungs and heart pounded, smoke filling his small chest and then he was outside, fresh air pushing past his lips.

He paused, turning to stare at the house and the window that held the flames at bay.

"It's okay, Sammy," he whispered, pulling his brother into his chest and refusing to loosen his grip. Yet, he was unable to tear his eyes from the fire that moved as though it were alive and trying to break free.

Arms were around him then, and as quickly as he began to struggle, he stopped because he was safe. He could feel the strange safety that his father's embrace always brought him and he knew, his dad was holding him tightly.

"I got you," John promised, but he couldn't tell who he was promising.

His heart ached, his mind raced, and he could only pull his sons closer to him as he hurried to get away from the burning building. Then it occurred to him, he wasn't promising himself, he wasn't promising Dean or Sam. He was whispering it to Mary, his Mary who he wasn't able to save, to protect. His heart thudded painful as the window exploded, showering bits of glass along the yard.

Dean pulled his brother tighter into him, never wanting to let him go as he felt tears burn his eyes, but he wouldn't cry, Sammy needed him. No, he wouldn't cry, he was a man now just like his dad was, and his dad never cried.

"I got you," John whispered again as he collapsed on the sidewalk with his sons in his arms. He knew them, he wouldn't be able to rest. Never. Not until he had caught the monster that had done this to his Mary.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! Second Chapter! I would have done this earlier but I have semester exams for my classes all week (Which I should be studying for now, heheh). Anyways, but yeah, I wrote this chapter in the middle of my classes and have started chapter three already. But, here's chapter two! WOOP! Hope ya'll enjoy, more chapters should come soon because I'm going on break soon. Also thanks to ya'll for the follows, it means a ton to me! *huggles!***

**Spoiler! Or...reference? Either way, a little reference thingy to Season One: Episode Nine - Home (Cheers to anyone who find it!)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Supernatural is not mine!**

_Chapter Two_

_Unknown City, Kansas: December 1983_

Dean Winchester was not happy.

But then again, how could he be? How could he be when everything at the moment was so...wrong? So how could be possible be happy?

His mom was gone.

That's how simple and still, how complicated it was. Four words and yet they caused so much pain. How could he be happy? Everyone tried to understand. They _claimed _to understand how it felt. How could they? Was it even possible to understand how lost he felt?

His mom, who had always been there for him. Who had always been by his side, was gone.

Dean sat, back straight, on the hotel room bed. His eyes were wide open, unable to shut even if he wanted them to. His legs were pulled beneath him and crossed. He didn't move. He couldn't. If he so much as twitched all the weight and knowledge would crash back down on him. She's gone. His mom was gone.

Mary Winchester would never smile at him again, would never roll her eyes in a loving way and ruffle his messy hair. She would never laugh when he tried to puff out his chest and act just as his dad did. Wouldn't hold him close and murmur how much she loved him before sending him off to bed. She wouldn't hug him tightly as he complained even though he loved how tight she held him. And she wouldn't sing softly the lyrics of _Hey, Jude _before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead and wishing him sweet dreams.

No, she wouldn't do any of these things because Mary Winchester was dead. His mom was dead. She's dead...So what was the point in complaining about moving from hotel to hotel? They were really just temporary houses. After all, he didn't have a home, not anymore. What was once his home, well that was a place he would never go back to again. What he had once considered home was gone now, dead just like..

Dean lifted a hand and wiped it roughly against his eyes, forcing the tears to keep from welling in his eyes. No tears, he promised himself. No tears, not when he needed to be strong. Strong...just like his dad was.

He couldn't cry. He had to be strong, he had to me a man, just like John Winchester. His dad who was always so strong, who never cried. His dad who...who wasn't there at the moment. Who was probably at another bar and would return to the hotel in a few hours only to collapse on the couch with the smell of alcohol on his breath.

Dean sat alone on the hotel bed, Sammy in the crib set up beside it. Sammy. His baby brother, his Sammy. He turned his teary eyes towards the crib and the bundle within it's bars. The hushed stirring wails of his brother reached his ears and he moved to his feet. He approached the crib and lowered the railing, watching his brother beginning to shift beneath his soft blue blanket.

Gently, Dean lifted his brother from the crib and pulled him close, remembering exactly how his mom had done so. One had supported his brother's head while the other cradled his body, ensuring that Sammy was safe, that nothing could harm him. Then again, as long as Dean was there, he'd be damned if anything happened to his baby brother.

He pulled Sam closer, and moved to sit back on the bed. He listened quietly as his brother shifted in his arms, before stilling. He smiled just the slightest bit as he leaned back against the headboard and pulled his knees up, allowing Sam to be encased against him.

Dean leaned back more, never allowing his eyes to stray from his brother, knowing that as long as he kept him close he would be safe. What would it matter if he went another night without sleep? As long as his brother was safe, that's all that mattered.

_***Supernatural!***_

John Winchester pulled up outside of the hotel, turning the keys in the ignition to shut off the engine. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he tightened his hand around the door handle for a moment but didn't pull it open yet. He sat for a moment, not wanting to leave the Impala and enter the hotel that his two boys were currently sleeping. Not wanting to see his eldest struggling to keep his eyes open and on the door, or hear his youngest struggling to sleep at night without his mother.

And there it was, the pain in his chest as he thought of her. As he thought of his Mary.

The flames flashed in his mind, leaping around the room, trying to wrap around him. Trying to trap him just as they had done his wife. Just as they had done to him Mary.

Another sigh, this time one of longing as he thought of how she had always hummed softly to their sons to lull them to sleep. And how instead of any regular lullaby it was always _Hey Jude _that managed to pull them into their dreams.

He smiled softly at the memory before it wiped away at the realization that he would never hear that again. Never hear Mary hum gently to her sons or smile broadly at him whenever he got him from work.

John opened the door, stepping outside and making sure he locked the doors before moving towards the hotel room door. As he reached it he paused, staring at the doorknob for a moment before unlocking it and pushing the door open. Then he stopped...

There on the bed, Dean lay curled on his side, his legs curled up and one arm crossed on his stomach, his eyes shut and his breath coming in even intervals. And there, on the bed beside him, still wrapped safely in his brother's arm was Sammy, his eyes shut as well and his mouth open in a tiny 'o' shape as he breathed deeply.

John smiled again, unable to keep his eyes from watering as he gazed at his two sons. He moved towards the bed and kneeled beside it, raising a hand to gently brush the strands of hair from Dean's face.

Yes, Mary was... -gone. But he still had his sons, it would take so much more now to take them away from him. So yeah, he's avenge Mary. He's find the monster that murdered her, and he's keep his sons safe.


End file.
